New AD Named

The wait is finally over. On June 13, 2022, UT Arlington named Jon Fagg as the seventh Athletic Director in the 65-year history of the Athletic Department as a four-year University. Jim Baker announced his retirement in February, effective September 1. Fagg will start his tenure on August 1.

Fagg comes to UTA from University of Arkansas, where he's been since 2008. He was most recently a deputy athletic director. Prior to that, he served stints at North Carolina State, Fresno State and the Big South Conference. 

Looking over the list of prior job duties, I see much of the same stuff that you'd expect: "direct oversight of the NCAA compliance program," "academic support," and "student-athlete experience." He also was directly involved in their two major revenue sports in football and men's basketball. 

However, one thing does stick out to me.

I suspect he was hired based on this on quote I read on utamavs.com.

"During his tenure in Fayetteville, Fagg was an instrumental team member of the University's capital campaign, Campaign Arkansas, which raised approximately $220 million for the department of athletics through annual and philanthropic giving to enhance the Arkansas student-athlete experience."

If I had to gander a wager, I'd say it was his prior experience in fundraising that helped land him the position. I have a couple of blog posts coming up this summer about plans in the works and bringing in funds will be instrumental to accomplishing those goals.  

UT Arlington isn't the Razorback program, though. The Mavs aren't a state flagship program with the ability to call anyone up and ask for a donation. However, I believe the department has a potential to dip into untapped resources and lead to greater heights. There are just too many alums in a growing, economic center. I haven't the foggiest idea of how to do that, but there are certainly smarter people out there that can. I hope the new Athletic Director is one who is. 

As for speculation on what he will do, what his style is like or how he will run things, I'll leave that for others. All I know is UTA is at a critical junction. With the essential expulsion from the Sun Belt Conference, UTA retreated in the conference race for the first time since the football program was disbanded and the core of the now-Sun Belt West Division left the Southland. Our former peers in North Texas, Texas State, UT San Antonio, Arkansas State and Louisiana are accelerating ahead of us. Even Louisiana-Monroe is ahead, despite their pitiful performance in all-sports. It is imperative for the program that UTA succeeded with this hire and get UTA back on the trajectory it was before.